Interruptable depositing machine

ABSTRACT

An improved depositing machine wherein foodstuff is ejected from a manifold by nozzles which reciprocate within nipples on the manifold, the uniform distribution of the deposited material being insured by the use of arcuately shaped, equally and concentrically spaced openings in the nozzle. To interrupt the ejection of topping material at irregular intervals without stopping the machine, a perforated baffle and an adjacent perforated cover plate divide the manifold into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, there being provided relative reciprocation between the two by means of a piston.

United States Patent [72] Inventors John F. Spoelhof;

William L. De Witt; Frank C. Werner, all of Grand Rapids, Mich. [21] Appl. No. 880,729 [22] Filed Nov. 28, 1969 [45] Patented Jan. 11, 1972 [73] Assignee Werner Lehara, Inc. Grand Rapids, Mich.

[54] INTERRUPTABLE DEPOSITING MACHINE 4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl. 99/450.7, 222/485 [51] lnt.C1 A2lc 9/08 [50] Field of Search 222/485, 379, 398,523, 320, 257, 275; 107/1 B, 1 K, 1 J, 27 R, 29R, 54 H, 28; 235/985 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,578,905 3/1926 Moores l0 7/29 2,482,146 9/1948 Baker 107/29 X 2,695,572 ll/l954 Oakes 107/29 3,290,488 12/1966 Sewell 235/985 3,385,237 5/1968 Brunson et al. 107/54 3,451,598 6/1969 Griffith 222/485 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Francis J. Bartuska Attorney- Price, Heneveld, Huizenga and Cooper ABSTRACT: An improved depositing machine wherein foodstuff is ejected from a manifold by nozzles which reciprocate within nipples on the manifold, the uniform distribution of the deposited material being insured by the use of arcuately shaped, equally and concentrically spaced openings in the nozzle. To interrupt the ejection of topping material at irregular intervals without stopping the machine, a perforated baffle and an adjacent perforated cover plate divide the manifold into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, there being provided relative reciprocation between the two by means of a piston.

PATENTED mu 1 m2 SHEET 1 BF 5 INVENTORS JOHN F. SPOELHOF WILLIAM L. DE WlTT FRANK Cv WERNER FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS PATENTED m1 1 1972 31533489 SHEET 2 UP 5 5-5 INVENTORS JOHN F, SPOELHOF WILLIAM L, DE WITT BY FRANK c. WERNER 3 yaw/6% W? W ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAN1 1 1372 SHEET 3 OF 5 T R R OWTIJE LH N LER E E E \O. WWL F AK NU HMMM VWF w M Y ATTORNEYS alsasAasa SHEET 5 OF 5 PATENTED JAN] 1 I872 INTERRUPTABLE DEPOSITING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the pastry and confectionary art it is often necessary to apply a topping or filling of some kind to the pastry or candy. It has been the practice to add flowable material or foodstuffs to form the topping by ejecting the foodstuff from a manifold out through a nipple. In order to provide large scale automatic production, a plurality of rows of items to be topped or filled, such as cookies, are fed under the manifold, there being a nipple for each line of cookie to be so treated.

The problem in such an arrangement in the past has been lack of flexibility in the machine for skipping the depositing for certain rows of cookies. That is, the cookies which approach the manifold from an equal distance in each line occupy the same row, and in some cases it may be desirable to skip that row in the depositing operation. Heretofore, the skipping operation was not easily obtainable. Specifically, U. S. Pat. No. 2,695,572 issued to E. Oakes discloses a manifold having two horizontal passageways l2 and 13 which feed to nipples by openings 21 in the manifold. Each opening 21 for each nipple has a separate actuator 36 which is opened or closed by hand, there being no way in which all the openings 21 and nipples 20 can be opened or closed simultaneously. Although the aforesaid patent does disclose a sliding valve 39, the valve does not operate at irregular intervals but rather regularly so as to allow a flow of the deposited material out through the nipples 20 each time a cookie comes underneath. The aforesaid patent utilizes the individual plugs 32 for shutting off each nipple, each plug being effective only in closing off its particular nipple. Thus, to skip a row or two utilizing the device disclosed in the aforesaid patent requires that the machine be shut sown when the row approaches and each nipple be closed by hand. It should be readily apparent that this mode of operation is exceedingly time consuming and therefore not very useful.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a depositing machine for depositing flowable materials at periodic intervals, which machine can interrupt the depositing operation for any given row. More specifically, the invention relates to an improvement of a machine comprising a conveyor of the base for the depositing; means for automatically feeding the conveyor; a source of flowable material to be deposited; a manifold communicating with the source; a plurality of nipples communicating with the manifold; first means for periodically causing the material to be forced from the manifold through and out of the nipples for depositing; second means for periodically actuating the first means in a predetermined timed sequence; the improvement comprising the manifold having a first and a second chamber, the first chamber receiving the material from the source and the second chamber delivering the material to the nipples; and means between the first and second chambers for alternately opening or closing communication between them in response to electronic control so that the periodic forcing of the material out of the nipples can be interrupted. Means are also included for actuating the opening or closing means. A further improvement includes the providing of an ejector wherein said first means includes nozzles telescopingly mounted with respect to the nipples and the said second means includes a platform which reciprocates with respect to the nipples, the nozzles being attached to the platform. Additional means are included for reciprocating the platform with respect to the manifold.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a depositing machine wherein a whole row of items on which material is to be deposited can be automatically and quickly skipped without shutting down the entire machine.

It is a related object of the invention to provide a depositing machine of the above character which utilizes an ejector mechanism that, when operative, ejects foodstuff uniformly upon the articles to be topped.

It is another object of the invention to provide a depositing machine of the above character wherein the ejecting nozzles are easily cleaned.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the depositing machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partly schematic elevational view partly in section illustrating the closing means which interrupts the flow of foodstuff for certain rows;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line IIl-lll of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlargement of part of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view illustrating the movement of the cookies or other items through the machine;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the manifold and its related structure having been deleted for clarity;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear end of the apparatus shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the control circuit for the apparatus of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention constitutes an improvement in a depositing machine having a frame 10 including two side walls 12, the top of which support plates 14. A manifold 16 is supplied through a line 18 with flowable foodstuff under pressure, the delivery of the foodstuff to the line 18 being accomplished in a conventional manner. The line 18 connects to a nipple 20 at one end of the manifold 16. The foodstuff comes out of the manifold through nipples 22 in a manner hereinafter described. The cookies or other items 24 on which the material, such as a topping, is to be deposited are placed on an endless belt 26 which is supported and driven by rollers 28 and 29, the latter being the drive roller, so that the belt passes under the manifold 16 and foodstuff is ejected onto the cookie or item 24. The cookies are placed on the end of the belt 26 aligned in columns under the nipples 22, each item 24 which is equidistant from the manifold constituting a row 34 (FIG. 6). An automatic feed can be utilized and this is discussed below.

In accordance with the invention, the depositing machine has been improved in the following manner: To periodically cause the ejection of the topping material 30 through and out of the nipples, an ejector mechanism 40 is utilized, comprising a platform 42 having an upstanding annular shoulder 44 and nozzles attached thereto. The shoulder 44 and the platform 42 are drilled and provided with female threads to engage the nozzles 46, each of which comprise a cylinder 48 externally threaded at one end 50 and provided at the other end with a lip 52 which slidably engages in a telescoping fashion the internal surface of the nipple 22 so as to be confined therein. To insure that the foodstuff is ejected out of the nozzle in a uniform distribution, the nozzle 46 has extending from the end 50 of the cylinder a partially closed end 54 having an end plate 58, the end plate 58 having cutouts or openings 60 and 62. The opening 60 is centered in the end 58, while the openings 62 are arcuately shaped and equally and concentrically spaced around the center opening 60. To allow the nozzle 46 to be cleaned at the openings 60 and 62 without removal of the entire nozzle, the end 54 includes either as a separate or as an integral part, a nut internally threaded at 64 to engage the end 50 of the cylinder 48.

The platform 42 constitutes a portion of the mechanism which reciprocates the nozzles 46 with respect to the manifold 16 and therefore with respect to the nipples 22 so as to obtain the relative movement of the nozzles and nipples whereby the foodstuff is ejected out of the nozzle. To partially support the platform with respect to the manifold, cars 66 extend out from both sides of the manifold. To raise and lower the manifold with respect to the platform, the cars 66 are each threadably attached to one end of a two way air cylinder 68. The other end of the cylinder 68 is mounted on lugs 70 which are bolted to the bottom of the platform 42. The cylinders 68 thus periodically actuate the manifold at regular intervals in a predetermined time sequence, which intervals coincide with the passing of the rows 34. To conventionally move the entire depositing mechanism with a respect to the frame 10, the platform 42 is welded or bolted to two bars 72, which bars project upwardly out of each sidewall 12. The bars are attached to a rocker arm which is cammed so as to move the depositing mechanism in a generally elliptical direction, as is well known.

It will be readily appreciated that the relative reciprocation of the nozzles 46 with respect to the manifold 16 can be obtained by a reverse construction. That is, the manifold 16 can be mounted with respect to the frame 12, the air cylinders 68 serving to lower and raise the platform 42 with respect to the manifold. In that case, the bars 72 would be connected to the manifold so as to assist in the movement of the manifold.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, to improve the depositing machine so as to allow the ejector mechanism to automatically shut off at irregular intervals without terminating the reciprocation of the platform 42 or the feeding of the belt, the manifold is divided into two chambers 106 and 108, and a control mechanism 100 is provided within the manifold 16. To alternately open or close communication between the two chambers, a baffle 102 separating the two chambers and shuttle valve or cover plate 104 are included, the cover plate 104 being positioned adjacent to and above the baffle to prevent, in one operative position, flow through the baffle. Because the baffle and the cover plate are horizontally positioned, the two chambers of the manifold are thus an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The nipple 20 allows foodstuff to feed from the manifold into the upper chamber 106 only. To allow the foodstuff to feed down from the upper chamber into the lower chamber and therefore down into the nipples 22, the baffle 102 is provided with spaced openings or perforations 110 positioned in a vertical plate passing through the axis of the manifold, To allow flow through the baffle in another operative position, the cover plate is provided with like perforations or openings 112 having the same spacing as the perforations 110 and the same location so as to be alignable with the openings 110 and 112, the cover plate 104 extends substantially the full width of the baffle. To actuate the control mechanism 100 so as to align the perforations 112 with the perforations 110 in one operative position and to misalign them in another operative position, the cover plate 104 reciprocates longitudinally within the manifold by means of a piston rod 114 which penetrates one end plate 116 of the manifold 16 through an annular seat 118 (FIG. The piston rod 114 is operated by a piston 120 pneumatically operated and controlled in a conventional manner, the piston being activated so that the perforations 112 are normally misaligned with the perforations 110, the control preferably being automatic as outlined below. Air access is provided by bulkheads outlet 122 and 124 at the other end of the piston. To insure that the cover plate 104 remains in contact with the baffle 102 during the reciprocation, the cover plate is positioned beneath guide rails 126 welded to the inside wall of the manifold 16. To maintain a constant pressure in the upper section 106, a conventional adjustable release valve (not shown) is provided therein.

It will be apparent that the operation of the closing means, where a topping operation for example is in progress, it as follows: The piston 120 normally holds the cover plate 104 so that the perforations 110 and 112 are in misalignment. On command, the plate is shifted so as to align perforations 110 and 112, thus allowing the foodstuff to feed from the upper section 106 down into the lower section 108 where the foodstuff is ejected out through the nozzles 46 when the nozzles reciprocate relative to the nipples 22 .at regular intervals. When a row 34 approaches which is not to be topped, cylinder is actuated so that the piston rod 114 moves the cover plate so that the perforations 112 are misaligned with the perforations 110. This occurs immediately after the last row to be topped comes under the manifold, so that there is no reciprocation of the nipples 22 down into the nozzle 46 to eject material, as explained hereinafter. Such a row of nontopped cookies is identified as 340 in F IG. 6.

CONTROL The control of the functions of the machine including feeding of the cookies onto the belt 26 is automatically accomplished as follows: When the machine is turned on, a motor 127 operates to continuously run the belt 26, as well as to continuously rotate a cam shaft 128 by means of a chain 129. A pusher plate 130 advances the cookies onto the belt 26 which carries them under the depositor. Before that the cookies are placed by conventional dropping means (not shown) on a stationary plate 132 over which the pusher plate 130 slides, the plate 130 having teeth 134 to physically slide the cookies off the stationary plate 132. (FIGS. 7 and 9). The plate 130 is mounted for reciprocation between two blocks 136, which have slots (not shown) for the reciprocation (FIG. I). A linkage accomplishes the actual reciprocation of the plate 130, the linkage in turn being activated by a two-way pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 142. A pusher forward coil and a pusher back coil 152 control the operation of this cylinder.

This action of feeding the cookies onto the belt 26 is controlled by a photocell 146 which senses the presence of a row 24 of items such as wafers or cookies in front of the pusher plate due to the cutoff of the light beam generated by light 148. Referring now to FIG. 10, photocell 146 closes the contacts P which initiates the timer. After a set time delay, the timer closes the contacts T. The time delay allows the entire row of items to be positioned on plate 132, rather than just the first item which intercepts the light beam, before further action takes place. The continuously rotating cam shaft 128 has positioned thereon a cam 149, and this eventually triggers limit switch LS-3 as the shaft rotates. When switch LS3 closes, it energizes the pusher forward" coil 150. The plate 130 then pushes the items off plate 132 in a row onto the belt 26. As the pusher plate 130 advances forward due to the energizing of coil 150, its linkage 140 activates limit switch LS-4 (FIG. 9), which in turn activates the coil 152 so as to retract the linkage 140, thereby retracting the plate 130.

It is necessary to control the operation of the manifold causing the depositing independently of the rate of placement of items upon the plate 132. Rather, the depositing must be based on a sensing of the approach of a row of items to the manifold. Accordingly, a second photocell is positioned downstream from photocell or eye 146, and in line with a light 162. The photocell triggers contacts 166 when it detects a break in the light beam created by an item moving toward the manifold 16. When so triggered, the contacts 166 close, activating a coil C, which is part of a counter 164 hereinafter described. Coil C closes contacts C. If the counter is set for zero," a pulse motor coil PM will energize when contacts 180 also close, which occurs as soon as the items move out of the light beam and downstream toward the manifold 16. Energizing coil PM causes, among other things, contacts 168 to close so as to energize a time delay coil lTD-l. The time delay switch lTD-l controls the actuation of the manifold for depositing topping foodstuff, by causing the shuttle valve coil 170 to activate, thus opening valve 104 to allow foodstuff to be fed from section 106 to section 108. The switch lTD-I stays closed by the delay of the coil, long enough to allow limit switch LS-S to close to activate line 172, switch LS-8 being triggered by a cam 184 on the continuously rotating cam shaft 128. When switch LS-8 closes, a coil 174 is energized, causing the air cylinders 68 to lower the manifold, so as to eject foodstuff through the nozzles 46 onto the row of items on the belt now under the manifold 16. Shortly, and in timed sequence after the switch LS-8 has activated the coil 174, limit switch LS5 is activated by a cam 186 on the cam shaft, thus energizing a coil 176 so as to cause the cylinders 68 to raise the manifold 16 back to it's original position.

To allow rows of items on the belt to skip a topping operating, photocell 160 controls the operation of the depositing through a counter such as the ATC counter 164 put out by Automatic Timing and Controls, Inc. The actuation of coil C by the photocell 160 as discussed above closes contacts C which, as long as another set of contacts 180 is closed, will energize the pulse motor PM so as to index one unit a conventional ratchet arm (not shown) of the counter. However, the sensing of an item by photocell 160 serves only to open the contacts 180, which keeps the counter at rest. Not until the item on the belt passes out of the light beam do the contacts 180 close, indexing the counter. Because contacts C are closed, the clutch continues to be energized through the line designated 190, even though at this point the contacts 166 open due to the receipt of the light beam by the photocell 160.

The repeated opening and closing of contacts 180 indexes the counter by means of the motor PM from its original setting, until the zero value is reached. At that time, coil PM is activated causing PM contacts 168 to close so as to energize time delay coil lTD. The remainder of the operation is the same as described above from a zero" setting on the counter.

The coil PM also activated contacts 208, 210, and 212 as follows: Contacts 208 are opened by the coil, thus breaking the circuit to the clutch coil C, deenergizing the same. Contacts 210 also open to prevent any further indexing of the counter, inasmuch as it has already indexed to the "zero" value. Contacts 212 close, but they constitute merely a built-in feature of the counter which is not utilized in the invention.

It will be readily recognized that the counter thus allows X" number of rows of items as sensed by photocell 160, to be fed under the manifold without being topped. The operator merely sets the counter to the number X" to accomplish this.

The motor 127 and its associated circuits, including switches and overloads, are included in the circuit of FIG. as element 220.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a depositing machine having a source of flowable material to be deposited on a plurality of items, a manifold communicating with the source, a plurality of nipples communicating with said manifold, first means for periodically causing the material to be forced from said manifold through and out of said nipples for depositing, second means for periodically actuating said first means in a predetermined timed sequence; the improvement comprising said manifold having a first and a second chamber, said first chamber receiving the material from the source and said second chamber delivering the material to the nipples; and means between said first and said second chambers delivering the material to the nipples; and means between said first and second chamber for alternately opening or closing communication between them so that the periodic forcing of the material out of the nipples can be interrupted; said depositing machine further including means for moving said items toward said manifold and means for sensing said items moving in row towards said nipples, said first means including means for relatively reciprocating said nipples and said manifold with respect to' each other in timed sequence with respect to the sensing of items by said sensing means for actuating said reciprocating means in timed sequence wherein said actuating means includes a switch controlled by said sensing means and a continuously opening and closing switch, both switches of which must close to actuate said reciprocating means.

2. In a depositing machine having a source of flowable material to be deposited on a plurality of items, a manifold communicating with the source, a plurality of nipples communicating with said manifold, first means for periodically causing the material to be forced from said manifold through and out of said nipples for depositing, second means for periodically actuating said first means in a predetermined timed sequence; the improvement comprising said manifold having a first and a second chamber, said first chamber receiving the material from the source and said second chamber delivering the material to the nipples; and means between said first and said second chambers delivering the material to the nipples: and means between said first and said second chamber for alternately opening or closing communication between them so that the periodic forcing of the material out of the nipples can be interrupted; said depositing machine further including means for moving said items toward said manifold and means for sensing said items moving in row toward said nipples; said first means including means for relatively reciprocating said nipples and said manifold with respect to each other in timed sequence with respect to the sensing of items by said sensing means, said second means including means for actuating said reciprocating means in timed sequence said actuating means includes a continuously rotating cam.

3. In a depositing machine having a source of flowable material to be deposited on a plurality of items, a manifold communicating with the source, a plurality of nipples communicating with said manifold, first means for periodically causing the material to be forced from said manifold through and out of said nipples for depositing, second means for periodically actuating said first means in a predetermined timed sequence, the improvement comprising said manifold having a first and a second chamber, said first chamber receiving the material from the source and said second chamber delivering the material to the nipples, said nipples comprising nozzles each including a downwardly projecting cylinder and further including at the bottom thereof a partially closed end having a center opening and at least two arcuately shaped openings equally and concentrically spaced about said center opening each of said nozzles further includes means for removing said partially closed end without removing the entire nozzle; and means between said first and said second chambers for alternately opening or closing communications between them so that the periodic forcing of the material of the nipples can be interrupted.

4. The improved depositing machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said removing means includes a nut screwed onto said cylinder, said openings being positioned in the bottom of said nut. 

1. In a depositing machine having a source of flowable material to be deposited on a plurality of items, a manifold communicating with the source, a plurality of nipples communicating with said manifold, first means for periodically causing the material to be forced from said manifold through and out of said nipples for depositing, second means for periodically actuating said first means in a predetermined timed sequence; the improvement comprising said manifold having a first and a second chamber, said first chamber receiving the material from the source and said second chamber delivering the material to the nipples; and means between said first and said second chambers delivering the material to the nipples; and means between said first and second chamber for alternately opening or closing communication between them so that the periodic forcing of the material out of the nipples can be interrupted; said depositing machine further including means for moving said items toward said manifold and means for sensing said items moving in row towards said nipples, said first means including means for relatively reciprocating said nipples and said manifold with respect to each other in timed sequence with respect to the sensing of items by said sensing means for actuating said reciprocating means in timed sequence wherein said actuating means includes a switch controlled by said sensing means and a continuously opening and closing switch, both switches of which must close to actuate said reciprocating means.
 2. In a depositing machine having a source of flowable material to be deposited on a plurality of items, a manifold communicating with the source, a plurality of nipples communicating with said manifold, first means for periodically causing the material to be forced from said manifold through and out of said nipples for depositing, second means for periodically actuating said first means in a predetermined timed sequence; the improvement comprising said manifold having a first and a second chamber, said first chamber receiving the material from the source and said second chamber delivering the material to the nipples; and means between said first and said second chambers delivering the material to the nipples: and means between said first and said second chamber for alternately opening or closing communication between them so that the periodic forcing of the material out of the nipples can be interrupted; said depositing machine further including means for moving said items toward said manifold and means for sensing said items moving in row toward said nipples; said first means including means for relatively reciprocating said nipples and said manifold with respect to each other in timed sequence with respect to the sensing of items by said sensing means, said second means including means for actuating said reciprocating means in timed sequence said actuating means includes a continuously rotating cam.
 3. In a depositing machine having a source of flowable material to be deposited on a plurality of items, a manifold communicating with the source, a plurality of nipples communicating with said manifold, first means for periodically causing the material to be forced from said manifold through and out of sAid nipples for depositing, second means for periodically actuating said first means in a predetermined timed sequence, the improvement comprising said manifold having a first and a second chamber, said first chamber receiving the material from the source and said second chamber delivering the material to the nipples, said nipples comprising nozzles each including a downwardly projecting cylinder and further including at the bottom thereof a partially closed end having a center opening and at least two arcuately shaped openings equally and concentrically spaced about said center opening each of said nozzles further includes means for removing said partially closed end without removing the entire nozzle; and means between said first and said second chambers for alternately opening or closing communications between them so that the periodic forcing of the material of the nipples can be interrupted.
 4. The improved depositing machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said removing means includes a nut screwed onto said cylinder, said openings being positioned in the bottom of said nut. 